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Raajaa Shibi

There was a Raajaa Shibi. He was a very generous and justice-loving King. One day he was sitting in his court, that a wounded pigeon came flying and fell in his lap and hid himself under his clothes. Raajaa got shocked to see him like this and asked, "Who has done this to you?" In the meantime a Baaz (falcon) came following him and looked for the pigeon. He saw him hiding in Raajaa's laps. Pigeon was still trembling with fear. 

Baaz said to Raajaa, "This is my prey, give it to me." Raajaa said, "But he has already come in my shelter, now it is my duty to protect him." Baaz said, "Raajan, I have killed him for my food, this is mine, I have my right on him." Raajaa said, "You have killed him, but I have protected him. Protector is greater than killer, so my right is more than you."  Baaz said, "You are snatching my food therefore you will go to Narak." Shibi said, "I will give you food then I will not go to Narak. I am a King, I have lots of food in my kingdom. If I give you food then will you be satisfied and leave this Baaz?" Baaz said - "You can't snatch all others' food and feed one."

Then Shibi thought for a moment and said - "Then I am ready to give you my own flesh equal to its weight (Raajaa thought that this pigeon is very light so I can manage to give my flesh to this Baaz)." Baaz said, "OK, I will manage." 

Then Shibi got a scale and kept that pigeon on one side and started cutting his own flesh and putting it on the other side of the scale. He cut and cut and cut but that pigeon was so heavy that his flesh was never enough to be equal to pigeon's flesh in any way. Raajaa Shibi had no alternative, so he continued keeping his flesh on the other side of the scale. At last when not much flesh left on his body, he himself sat on the scale. As he sat on the scale pigeon and Baaz changed to their real form. They were Dharm Raaj (Baaz) and Indra Dev (pigeon). They blessed him and made him whole. He ruled then for many years to come. Thus Raajaa Shibi saved a pigeon's life even after giving his life.